Hi everyone,

after the Gicar Box in my Fiorenzato Colombina (2006) broke down, and it seems impossible to find a replacement (Cod. 9.1.40.57), I decided to rewire the machine and install an Auber PID controller, an RTD sensor replacing the Steam Thermostat, and an SSR.

I have the machine stripped to the bone, and all the components ready to go.
Now how do I wire this thing properly?



The components list is the following:

Power Switch
Power Light
Steam Switch (With light)
Water Switch (With Light)
Safety Thermostat
Brew Thermostat
RTD Sensor
PID Controller
Heating Element
E61 Brew Switch
Ulka Pump
Reservoir Tank Switch

Any support is highly appreciated!

As of now, I can bring hot and neutral to the power switch, while ground is already connected.
I can wire the SSR to the boiler, and to the pid controller.
I also know how to bring hot and neutral from the power switch to the pid controller.
And connect the RTD sensor to the PID Controller.

But how do I wire the rest of the thermostats and each switch/light properly?

Enrico,

That looks like a fun project!

What broke down on your Gicar controller?

I ask because it appears that you have a couple nice features from the factory that you are walking away from with your current strategy and it may be beneficial to retain the Gicar for these features, but utilize the PID and SSR to control the heater.

Doing so would also take care of 90% of the wiring that you have questions about. Your Gicar appears to have a low level circuit in the boiler, which would be an excellent safety to ensure you never run the boiler dry. I presume it would also have a level switch of some sort in the reservoir, if so equipped.

Rewiring the machine from scratch is a tempting idea, but you quickly find that many of the OEM safeguards are in place for a reason. Depending on the nature of your original Gicar controller's failure, you may be able to reuse the safety features therein and simply rewire the element through the PID.

I would recommend you try this approach to simplify the hassle of rewinding all the components one by one.

Cheers!

- Jake

Hi Jake, thanks for the advice.

I am not sure what broke on the Gicar Box. Currently a friend of mine is working on it to replace the faulty component.
I will ask specifics once the job is done. So I could use the old controller box.

Re-wiring the machine sounded appealing to clean up the wiring and approach it as minimalist as possible.
I use the machine exclusively for espresso and hot water, I never use the steam function, so the auto-refill for the boiler is not essential (I ensure the boiler is filled to the top when I turn on and before turning off the machine). However I agree with you regarding its usefulness.

Status Update: The original Siemens Contactor Relay (which I supposed to be faulty alongside the Gicar Box) is fully functional. Good thing, I'll have it as a backup since it can't be bought anywhere anymore, and the new circuit with the PID controller and SSR makes no use of this.



The Gicar box is back as well, fixed as best as we could. The issue was the 120-12v transformer. We were not able to buy the single component, so we adapted a different power supply for the 12v circuit. However I decided not to use the Gicar Box either, but if I ever need/decide to revert the machine back to stock, the components and wiring needed is all there ready to go.

Now back to the actual project:



-Even though I could use the mounts from the Siemens Contactor, the location was too close to the boiler and up high in the machine frame, so I decided to drill 2 holes and fit the SSR behind the pump, as far away from the boiler as possible.
Installed the silicon mat to help dissipate heat, and secured it in place.



-I also made temporary pump supports to try and lower the vibrations (ideally allowing more movement to the rubber mounts by eliminating the L shape, and swapping it for a solid L shaped metal support). if the concept works, I'll make better looking mounts.



-The RTD sensor has been secured in place of the lowest thermostat. So now I really need to start wiring.
I decided to keep the PID controller external (as I don't want to cut the front and side panels of the machine, so I'll just fix it to the bottom front of the frame and have the cables exit through the window to access the boiler heater.

Searching for previous attempts to PID this machine I came across this: https://rolfb.ch/2014/vitudurum-v2-umbau/
It includes a detailed circuit on how to wire the machine, and as far as I can tell, the components are the same.



Can anyone confirm my thoughts?

It turns out that the circuit needed some adjustments, so I drew it out specific to this machine, and added a ground for the PID controller as well.



Once I double checked it, I made the wiring from scratch, using cable rated at around 390 degrees, brass female spade crimps, heat shrink insulation, and that was that.





Now I have to figure out the parameters for the PID. does anyone have some reference point for an E61 0.8L boiler?

Upon first attempt to turn the water switch on, something shorted and the wall outlet fuse jumped.
So now I am trying to figure out if my circuit is wrong, or if my "translation" from paper to cable is to blame...

I'll keep the updates going.

However, still looking for suggestions on initial parameters for the PID.
Or if anybody can spot a fault in the circuit, you might save me a headache

Stine wrote:Or if anybody can spot a fault in the circuit, you might save me a headache

It doesn't look right as drawn. If wired per your new diagram you'd get sparks when the W switch is closed.


The dashed red line (above) should be either removed, or you need to put a lamp on it. (That's what that wire was for in the original diagram - it lit the L4 lamp indicating that the W switch was closed.)

Thank you for pointing that out to me.
The W switch has a light built in, but I guess I probably wired it wrong so it shorted.
Or does the light have to be before the switch, in the red dot line segment?

Stine wrote:The W switch has a light built in, but I guess I probably wired it wrong so it shorted.
Or does the light have to be before the switch, in the red dot line segment?

The light needs to be between the switch contact and the wire that connects back to the main switch. If it's built into the switch then it may be a matter of making sure you connect the switch correctly.

To test with a multimeter and an unplugged machine, if you flip both the power switch and the water switch on, and see a low resistance between the neutral and the live prongs of the power cord plug, then you know you have it very wrong.

When checking a diagram, if you trace every potential current path between live and neutral without seeing a load (pump, element, light, solenoid, etc) then your diagram has a problem.

Beware that 110V can kill. I suggest enlisting some help from someone with electric appliance repair expertise.